Intense pulsed light (IPL) / photofacial in Puebla

What is intense pulsed light (IPL)?

Intense pulsed light (IPL), popularised as the photofacial, is a non-invasive treatment that emits broadband light to correct the colour of the skin: flat sun spots, diffuse redness and dilated capillaries. It does not work on wrinkles or pores — that is the job of a fractional laser, not of pulsed light.

Technically it is not a laser. A laser emits a single, highly concentrated colour of light; IPL emits a range of wavelengths that filters aim at two targets: the melanin in spots and the haemoglobin in vessels. The light becomes heat inside those targets, fragments superficial pigment and collapses the capillary, while the surrounding skin is left intact.

The practical distinction that saves disappointment: if your problem is colour —redness, superficial spots, sun freckles— IPL is the tool. If your problem is texture —pores, wrinkles, scars— the tool is a different one: see laser resurfacing.

Techniques used by Dr. Arístides Arellano

The pulsed light in this practice is delivered with the Lumenis M22 (Lumenis, Israel); filters and settings are adjusted to the target and, above all, to the patient phototype:

• IPL for pigment (solar lentigines): flat, round, well-defined sun-damage spots. This is where pulsed light performs best and fastest: the spot darkens, forms a fine microcrust and flakes off on its own within days.
• IPL for the vascular component (redness and capillaries): diffuse redness, flushing and fine telangiectasia — the territory of rosacea and of vascular lesions. The light is absorbed in haemoglobin and the vessel collapses.
• Full photofacial (face, neck, décolletage and hands): colour rejuvenation of the most sun-exposed areas, including poikiloderma of Civatte — the mottled reddish-brown discolouration on the sides of the neck from chronic sun.
• A protocol adapted to high phototypes: on darker skin, less energy, more sessions and skin priming are used, because melanin competes for the light and the safety margin is narrower.
• Combined with ResurFX (same M22 chassis): when colour comes with texture or pores, pulsed light is combined with the non-ablative fractional module in a staged plan. See resurfacing.
• When NOT to use IPL: melasma —symmetric patches on the cheeks and forehead— can be made worse by pulsed light. Telling a lentigo from a melasma before firing is the single most important clinical decision in this consultation.

How is it performed?

It is an outpatient session of 20 to 30 minutes, without anaesthesia in most cases. The skin is cleansed, a cold gel is applied, the eyes are protected with opaque goggles and the light pulses are delivered; the sensation is a brief heat, like a rubber band snapping against the skin.

After the session, spots usually darken for a few days —taking on a “coffee-ground” look— and then flake off on their own; capillaries clear progressively. The microcrusts must not be scratched or exfoliated. Pulsed light is almost always planned as a series of 3 to 5 sessions spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart, plus later maintenance, because sun damage and redness are corrected in layers, not in a single pass.

The rule that decides both the result and the safety is the same before and after: no tan and no recent sun. Tanned skin has more melanin competing for the light, and that turns a routine treatment into a risk of a burn or a new patch of pigment.

Every medical treatment —topicals, peels and energy-based devices included— carries risk and requires a prior assessment. In darker skin (Fitzpatrick IV–VI, the most common phototypes in Mexico) a poorly indicated procedure can darken the patch instead of lightening it. Results may vary according to each patient, their phototype and their individual triggers.

Who is a good candidate?

The best candidate has colour damage from sun on fair-to-medium skin (phototypes I to III), with no recent tan and realistic expectations:

• Flat sun spots (solar lentigines) and freckles on the face, décolletage, shoulders or hands.
• Diffuse redness, persistent flushing and the vascular component of rosacea.
• Fine capillaries and telangiectasia on the face, neck and décolletage.
• Poikiloderma of Civatte — the mottled reddish-brown discolouration on the sides of the neck.
• Skin of phototypes I to III, where IPL performs best; in phototype IV it is used with caution and conservative settings.
• Not a good candidate: anyone with melasma, a recent tan, very dark skin (phototypes V–VI), an active infection in the area, or recent isotretinoin use; pregnancy and certain photosensitising medications also mean postponing.

Recommended post-treatment care

After an IPL session the care is simple but decisive for the result: strict daily photoprotection, no scratching or exfoliating the microcrusts —they fall off on their own within days— and gentle moisturising. Depending on the case, Dr. Arístides may prescribe a pigment-lightening or skin-priming routine between sessions to widen the safety margin, especially in higher phototypes. See the full guide: Post-surgical recovery and care.

Before and after

Most patients want to see before-and-after photographs before deciding. Out of respect for each person’s privacy, Dr. Arístides Arellano shows real cases —always with documented consent— during your in-person consultation, where you can review results from patients with a starting point similar to yours. Results may vary from patient to patient.

Approximate price

A session starts at approximately $3,000 MXN, depending on the area treated and how many sessions your response calls for. Approximate price — the definitive cost is set at your private consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano.

About Dr. Arístides Arellano

Dr. Arístides Arellano is a plastic surgeon holding a specialty licence: he practises under a Mexican medical licence (D.G.P. 1125959) and a specialty licence in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (0002008), both issued by the Directorate General of Professions (DGP), which reissued his certificate of professional standing in 2025. His career began before Mexico’s present-day specialty-board system existed: he belongs to the founding generation of plastic surgery in Puebla, the second generation of a surgical tradition started in 1971 by Dr. Francisco Arellano Ocampo. Trust is verified, not promised: both licences are public and anyone can look them up in the DGP’s National Registry of Professionals.

Related patient guide

Before booking IPL for spots, it is worth ruling out melasma, which pulsed light can worsen: Spots and melasma in Puebla: why laser sometimes darkens the patch — part of the information reviewed by Dr. Arístides Arellano.

Trust is verified, not promised. All 210 scanned documents —degree, licences, diplomas, publications and certificates, from 1977 to 2025— are open in Dr. Arístides Arellano’s credential archive, alongside an explanation of the difference between a specialty licence and a board certification.

Session plan and recovery

• Day 0Redness and a mild sunburn-like warmth for a few hours; treated spots look darker.
• Days 1–7Dark microcrusts (“coffee-ground”) that flake off on their own. Do not scratch or heavily conceal. Capillaries begin to clear.
• Weeks 3–4Next session in the series, if the skin has recovered and there has been no recent sun.
• Series of 3–5 sessionsColour evens out progressively: fewer spots, less redness, a more uniform tone.
• Maintenance1–2 sessions a year plus daily photoprotection; without it, the sun makes new spots.

Frequently asked questions

Every figure published on this site is approximate and is not a quote. Any procedure or treatment first requires a private assessment consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano —$800 MXN, charged separately— and it is at that consultation that the definitive cost of your case is determined.

Educational content; it does not replace a medical consultation. Results may vary from person to person.